My Eibach springs at-home install - write up & review

[sohcsol]

I know there is already a DIY for installing springs on this site, because I actually used it when doing my own install but this is more of a review than it is a DIY. Also, there are some details that I encountered that were not covered in the other thread, because I did the entire install with only hand tools (no air tools or lifts here).


I will start with a general overview of the product and install. I can say, that I am 100% pleased with everything about this product. This is possibly the best all around mod I have done to any car based on quality, value, and performance. I am also very glad that I chose to install them myself, because it was very straight forward with only a few tricky parts. I would recommend to anyone thinking about going with lowering springs, and that has all of the basic mechanics tools, to consider doing the install yourself and saving some $$$. My driving impression/review is at the end of the thread.

Now on with the pics...

Wheel gap before:


Wheel gap after:


Fender height before:


Fender height after:


You might notice on my fender measurement, before it was just under 26". After install and some driving around to settle the springs, I am right at 24.5". Perhaps my measurements are not exact, but this still looks more like a 1.25-1.5" drop. These were both measured on the front left fender.


I ordered my springs directly from Eibach, and they were at my door less than a week later. The quality looked pretty top notch to me.




On to the actual install, I would rate the difficulty overall at about a 4.5 out of 10. Aside from basic wrenches, hex keys, and a razor knife all you will need is a strut spring compressor, which I acquired from Advance Auto Parts for a small refundable deposit.

The removal and installation of the front coilover assembly is a piece of cake. You simply unbolt the brake line bracket... (12mm)


and swaybar endlink... (14mm) but be cautious, both front wheels must be lifted off the ground so that the swaybar is not pre-loaded! (almost learned that lesson the hard way)


unclip the ABS sensor from underneath the bracket, I used a screwdriver...


and remove upper (17mm) and lower (19mm) shock bolts. Mine did not require use of a hex key on the top, but they have small rubber covers on the top of the bolts that you need to remove.




Next you would use the spring compressor to free up the top hat, then use a hex key and 19mm wrench to unbolt it.
The tricky part is removing the bump stop from the top hat in order to cut it down, and then reinstalling it. When snapping the white plastic part of the top hat off of the metal, I slipped and gave myself a nasty cut on my thumb. Wear gloves when doing this!


After cutting about 1" off the bottom of the bump stop, I struggled for a while to get it back into the dust cover and top hat. Ended up cutting a small sliver off of the ridge that holds it into the top hat, in order to get it in securely.



You would then reassemble the strut with the Eibach spring. The instructions state that the word "Eibach" should read right side up. The top hat and spring seat have nice indentations in them that show you where the end of the coil will line up, so you don't have to worry about marking their orientation.


Reinstalling the strut assembly is reverse of the removal. I did the lower shock bolts, then the upper, followed by swaybar, brake line and ABS sensor.


The rear install is much easier, and each side could probably done in about 15 minutes if you know what you are doing. Mine ending up lasting for hours because I dropped one of the upper shock nuts down behind my subwoofer so I had to rip apart the interior to get at it.

You will start by removing the two rear side panels in the back hatch area, which cover the top shock bolt. There are small indentations toward the top front side of these panels where you can insert a flat head screw driver and gently pry away the clips.



You will then remove the upper and lower shock bolts (both 14mm) and the upper will most likely need a hex key also.
Here is the rear shock removed:


The Eibach instructions say you can drill out a pinch point on the washer that holds the top collar and bump stop in place, however on my car the long washer had a ridge all the way down that prevented it from being drilled out. So I had to use the method of cutting the dust cover to reveal the bump stop...


Then cutting about 1" off the bumpstop while still on the shaft.


I reassembled the dust cover with duct tape, which we will have to see how that holds up. The cover itself is only very thin plastic, so I think it should be okay.

You then have to remove the stock springs, which may require some downward pressure on the hub to free up the spring. The rubber grommets on the top and bottom of the spring must be removed and place onto the new springs. Once again, there are indentations that show where the coil should end. Also, notice on the bottom grommet there is a circle thru the middle with one flat side. That flat side should face the front of the car.

Once again, re-install in the reverse order of removal.

And here is the result:


I will get some better pics tomorrow


In my opinion, these springs are perfect for this car. It looks absolutely awesome even with such a subtle drop, I love it. I took it out for a test drive and was blown away with how comfortable and tight the handling was. It feels just as comfortable as stock, if not better because you can feel and respond to the car better. Under hard cornering, there is about 50% less body roll than with the stock springs. I feel much more in control over the car, the handling is more predictable and accurate, and responds much better to steering input. Altogether I have nothing bad to say about these springs. They are a great value, and the time I put into the install was well worth it

[Scotty001]

^ Outstanding. A great contribution to the Forum... If you have someplace scenic to take some pics of the CR-Z would be great ....

Thanks...

[northbridge]

nice review! congrats on your purchase and great job on the install.

[CRX-SiRT]

I enjoyed reading this write-up and the car looks great....

[sohcsol]

Thanks guys! I'm glad you enjoyed the write up, especially since it was mostly my 2am ramblings and all done from memory


So after a couple days of driving it, I still absolutely love the ride quality! The car looks so good, it seems like a ton of drop for being only 1 inch. I've actually double checked my measurements a couple of times to make sure I didn't do something wrong lol. For people worried that these springs will not provide enough drop, I would worry not. Unless you want a completely slammed look, this is as low as I would want the car to be.

The only downside I can say so far, is that my front left splash guard now scrapes when entering/exiting my driveway over the curb . Fortunately the scrapage is only visible from under the car, and I've only got one more week to deal with my crappy driveway.

I will have some better pics tonight or tomorrow, just need the sun to come out here. I cannot wait to get some nice wheels on now, I think with that the car will be nearly complete

[kmanatt]

Wow, thanks for the detailed info and pictures. This will help more of us take the plunge! K

[GoHuskies]

I'd rep you if I could. Cool review!

[sgtmorph]

nice, get a nice side low-level shot ......thx

[specialorder15]

Thanks will be installing mine upon arrival on the 25th

[sohcsol]

Okay so I got home from work, rushed outside to wash the layer of salt off my Z despite the 30 degree temperature, and it was already getting dark by the time I started taking pics lol. But its going to rain the rest of the week, so this is the best I could get for now.










Also wanted to mention, if anyone in the Tampa area is going with lowering springs, I'd be glad to help out with the install.